Hide n' Go Seek
by Ryden Purrson
Summary: On one day, a seemingly bright and normal day. A certain female taicho's life will change so much she wouldn't even be able to recognize what it was to begin with. The change's cause? A meeting that led to a game of Hide n' Go Seek. Story takes place fifty years before Ichigo goes to Seireitei to an undisclosed time/event.
1. The Meeting

_A/N: This is my first fanfiction so I would appreciate any constructive criticism. Flames are allowed, I personally don't care for them. Flood my inbox, give me more reviews, and I'll ignore you in return! Everyone wins! I am writing this story on my free time so I'll likely have a new chapter out every month or two. I'll try my best to update often, but as a guy said in a movie I still have yet to see beginning to end in one sitting, "Stuff happens." Now note the rating and ask yourself if that rating would offer any explicts, so don't ask for any. Besides it's too much work for me to try and do something like that._

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Bleach. Honestly, do you think I'd be writing this if I had the power to change it in canon?**

"Talking"

'Thinking/Sarcasm/Etc.'

**Super Emphasis/"Spoken with Super Emphasis"**

(_Author's Notes in the story_)

I'll add more to the key as they appear.

* * *

It was early in the morning, at about four o'clock AM in Seireitei. Most people would usually be sleeping or relaxing during their spare time in the after-life, especially with such a serene, peaceful, and calming environment surrounding them. However, this person was obviously not most people.

This person was obviously female with a very petite build and white, yet ever so slightly tanned skin. She seemed to have dark violet/blue hair with two long braids running from under her hair down her small figure to the small of her back where there was a gold ring at the end of each braid. She wore a haori, the symbol for a captain of the Gotei Thirteen, which had the kanji for two on the back. This person held a stern gaze with a scowl on her face and gray eyes and furrowed brows completing the 'stick up the ass' look. Her name? Well, to you she would say 'Soifon-taicho' but I, as the author, get to call her Soifon. She is the second division commander, leader of the Onimitsukido, one of the fastest shingami in Seireitei, as well as one of the most powerful women in existence.

She was currently on her way toward the fourth division barracks for another one of her bi-annual special meetings with Unohana, the taicho of squad two. These meetings began some forty-nine years ago, exactly twelve months after they learned 'she' left. Soifon stopped that train of thought from continuing.

Soifon then started questioning why she had to go to these meetings, though she was at least grateful that Unohana always managed to work around her already overloaded schedule to do this instead of forcing her fukutaicho, if she could even call the fat oaf that, to do the work. Normally people would love to hand their work over to their fukutaichos, however, this certain one was a bit trickier than normal. He was fat, great! Must have some cunning on the battlfield to use that blubber? no. He was slow, not just by second division standards but by general shinigami standards. So he must be strong? Not at all. Then he is a tactician? no. A leader? no. An excuse to not have a different lieutenant that is even worse? Not possible. Most would then question how he got the position then. The answer is simple, **politics**.

Soifon's thoughts of her 'fukutaicho' were cut somewhat short by the appearance of the fourth division barracks. She set off directly in the direction of the taicho's office, barely a few hundred feet away from her now, a relatively short distance compared to the distance she'd just traveled to get to the barracks. She saw the door in sight and let a brief sigh lose and stretched her muscles slightly for the headache she knew was coming from visiting Unohana again, as something odd always gets brought up here... worse yet, she actually goes along with whatever she does.

Soifon knocked on the door. Not long after a voice cut through the calming silence in reply to the knock.

"Come in Soifon-dono." Unohana's reply sounded. As Soifon came in and looked toward the desk where Unohana sat in wait for her, obviously tired from the lack of sleep if the look of her eyes was anything to go by. (_This is where I'd put a description of Unohana, but I only put the appearence of important characters/when characters look different/for OCs_).

Soifon's prepared reply was curt and to the point, in a futile attempt to rush through the meeting, which she found to be a waste of her time every year, "You wished to see me Unohana-dono?"

"Yes I did, you might want to take a seat because I have a few things to discuss with you." Unohana's look left no room for argument or any form of reply. Soifon simply, yet briskly crossed the remainder of the room to the seat she had motioned to and sat down stiffly, scowl still ever present on her face. "I wanted to ask why you have so much of your time spent on working? It is unhealthy and could almost be considered as worse than how you reacted fifty years ago when you locked yourself up for almost nine months. Only until I had to fetch you so you could be present for your taicho promotion. But I suppose you have answered that question enough times." It was true, Unohana seemed to always open these meetings with that same question of why Soifon had always worked as hard as she did, probably in a wasted effort to be able to hold the meetings at a more reasonable hour, or maybe it did serve a purpose to the meeting itself, Soifon could never figure it out. "But onto today's agenda. I would like to ask you how well you have been so far ever since 'she' left. I believe today is an appropriate date to ask this question, considering it is the day before the fiftieth anniversary of her departure."

Soifon, to her credit, hadn't twitched a muscle throughout the presentation of the meeting's proposed purpose, though Soifon could tell there was something underneath the cleaver cover story the fourth division taicho concocted. She would play along for now. "I am doing fine. I can breath, I can fight, I can feel, and I can die. If this is the point of this meeting then I must excuse myself, I have business to prepare for tomorrow." Soifon was about to get up to leave when she noticed another topic about to come out, luckily 'her' training had helped her with reading people like a book, she found it almost too easy, or it would have been slightly awkward or uncharacteristic for her 'bad ass' persona.

"Soifon-dono, you cannot lock yourself up like this every year, we both know what business you speak of. It's going to be fifty years since 'she' had left tomorrow, why don't you go out? It will do you good to see the outside world during those twenty-four hours instead of wallowing in sorrow, beating up on your training ground the whole day." Soifon could tell she was getting close, she would go along for a bit more and she might finally get what she had come to be asked about, or she could merely walk out and let her entire division suffer at the hands of the fourth division whenever the would get injured in the extreme training regime of the second division... she was actually legitimately concidering the second option. But she decided against it, it wasn't professional to bring others into your own personal matters.

"I am sorry Unohana-dono, but as you know" 'to at least some degree' she thought near immediately in the middle of what she had begun to say, "I do not wish for others to see any form of weakness coming from my person. I fear the repercussion of any form of weakness and how they would affect my squad, especially with my fukutaicho..." Soifon was referencing to how a taicho represents their squad, any befallment of theirs looks bad on the entire squad, or how any personality portrayed by the taicho reflects on how the squad looks. It was also common knowledge to those who knew Soifon at least somewhat well that she loathed her fukutaicho with every fiber of her being, unbeknownst to his feeble mind. But the only people who knew her even that well were only the Sotaicho, by force, and Unohana, through the meetings, which she only attended because of Unohana's threats.

"Then how about I give you something to do during the day, perhaps?" Unohana began while Soifon was happy she was finally about to end this meeting. "I shall make you an offer you **cannot** refuse." She emphasized, obviously stating that any form of argument or denial of the offer would come with long term torture, off the records, of course, to either her. In the form of a mountain's worth of paper work, which she'd have to do herself. Or her division, in the previously stated form.

Soifon, begrudgingly heard her out, thinking something along the lines of 'what could it be, there's nothing in all of Seireitei that I couldn't do.' (_*cough* famous last words *cough*)_ She continued to boast proudly in her mind so she could actually ma- err... female up for the task she was being 'asked' to do.

The words that left Unohana's mouth next shocked her too her core. And the open ended threat that came with it made Soifon think that the phrase 'stuck between a rock and a hard place' wasn't descript enough... She made her decisions, once more, if not more-so, begrudgingly.

-====== The Next Day ======-

Soifon was fuming. First she had to set aside time yesterday to speak with Unohana, then she had to deal with her version of tact in conversation, which was far too round-a-bout for her tastes. Next she actually had to legitimately consider a preposterous offer where she, quite literally to her, had to consider which of the two was the 'lesser of two evils.' She picked her option and now she actually had to actually take the day off! (_The nerve!_). Soifon still couldn't understand why Unohana was doing this 'for her' when she doesn't even want this.

Soifon then found the place she was heading for. The place she had always hoped never again see in her life, and especially not personally. To her it was the worst hell imaginable, a place where she had only been to once before and gave her the worst headache she'd ever had.

She then walked up to the large structure and stood in front of the seemingly glowing door. She then knocked three times on the Marechiyo clan estate's door.

* * *

_A/N: Oh no! I left a cliff hanger! Don't worry I won't leave you hanging for all too long! I'm still wondering what she is doing at the Marechiyo estate. Did she take the offer or the punishment? Will you even learn next chapter? Why won't the author give us such vital informa- oh wait... I am the author! Bwahahahaha! _I put on a wide grin and squint my eyes and say in the most childish voice I have it in me to use: _Bye Bye!_


	2. The Marechiyo Estate

**A/N: And this is it, I appologize for the long wait, I just had a very busy month and a half. Not to mention the time it takes for me to push out a single chapter seems to take me quite a while. But, lucky me and you that I'm stubborn and wont give up without a good brawl. So, without further adu... wait... disclaimer? Stupid... ugg. If I'm making these fanfics then why... you know what. Whatever;**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, if I did then I wouldn't be making these now would I? As a matter o' fact, I will probably make a list on my profile of things I would change in the Anime/Manga if I owned Bleach.**

**And without _any_ further adu. Hide n' Seek - Chapter 2: The Marechiyo Estate;**

* * *

The door to the Marechiyo estate opened, inside it was, for lack of a better term, a very _shiny _passage way, with ceilings that were higher than anybody should really ever have. The walls had portraits of the royal, main branch family of the Marechiyo clan, the walls and ceiling also had various paintings of shinigami battles that were extremely exaggerated, none of them containing any of the rotundness of the actual members of the Marechiyo family.

The walls were painted with varying colors of gold, red, and black _(as if I would know how to decorate a home...)_ and small amounts of other colors mixed in, in an obvious attempt to impress the eyes of whomever looks in the estate, after they regain their eyesight from the absurd nature of the design. The hallway had five doors, four branching off to the side, and one noticeably larger door that led to the main staircase to head to the clan sleeping quarters and various family/clan areas.

Soifon marched into the estate with the traditional, ever-present scowl on her face, right past the snobby looking servant that had opened the door for her after she had knocked. She went toward the left and closest door to her and once she had reached there with the servant, she then realized that the servant had been explaining all of the decor and symbolism of the hall to her, which she wisely continued to ignore.

She opened a door closest to her on her left that led to a place that she would've expected to reside in the lowest domains of hell, not in the midst of the city for the guardians of heaven.

She walked through the meeting hall, decorated like the outer hall where she'd entered from, to her designated seat, it even had a name card on it which read: Soifon-Taicho. 'Good' she thought. 'At least they can get the title correct.' She looked up to see a very small and petite girl with bubblegum pink hair with a smile that would've brightened the room; if Soifon wasn't grimacing and brooding while looking around the room, looking for anything better to do other than partake in the meeting.

She turned her attention back to the joyous, child-looking shinigami when she started with the purpose of the meeting of people in the room. "As president of the Shinigami Woman's Association, with my vice president, I call this meeting to order!" The girl that Soifon later learned was named Yachiru, called out in a noticeably peppy tune. "I'm proud to announce that we have a new member here to join us in the S-W-A, please welcome; Soifon-Taicho!" Yachiru began clapping and giggling, likely thinking about how good of an opening she made for the meeting. Yachiru then realized that she was the only one clapping while everyone merely sent a small smile and/or a nod Soifon's way. Which she was more than happy about, rather than receiving some strange applause that would only waste even more of her time and make things even more awkward for the still grimacing female taicho.

Yachiru stopped clapping and held a very abashed look on her face as she started calling out things they were going to do, projects, asking for volunteers, and other things that Soifon might have heard or listened to, had she not been spacing out.

As Soifon looked around, she could see some fairly notable members gathered around in a semi-circle formation, centered around Yachiru and her vice president. Among them that she could tell where Yachiru, Nanao, Rangiku, Nemu, Isane, Kiyone, and Unohana. It disgusted her, borderline revolted her in how so many prominent female shinigami could engage in a group that did nothing to aid Sereitei, who's finances only put strain on the city as a whole. Not to mention how their activities and conversations were so.. so... so feminine! She couldn't stop herself from thinking back to the night before and how she got into this mess.

xXxXxXxFlashbackxXxXxXx

"I have recommended you to join the Shinigami Woman's Assocation. Our first meeting is tomorrow at four o'clock in the afternoon." Unohana started off, vaguely noticing how Soifon's left eye was twitching almost unnoticeable, but to her credit, she hadn't made an outburst yet. "It will be hosted at the Marechiyo clan es-" She continued before being interrupted.

"I refuse." Soifon said swiftly.

"Hmm..." Unohana hummed out in thought, likely trying to think carefully about her next words. "Would this have to do with the possible encounter with any of the Marechiyo family?"

Soifon thought for a mere second, and deduced that she had nothing to lose by telling the truth, that and a lesser known fact of her; Unohana was the best 'lie detector' in Sereitei just after her, so there was no point in expending the extra effort and drawing out the meeting further.

"Yes, I refuse to see the slugs and oafs of that family of that family again. I already have to deal with that pig Omaeda enough as it is. I also wouldn't dare take a step in the direction of that accursed _organization_ for reasons I'm sure are public information to you." Soifon spat out with a venomous and a not-so-subtle undertone.

"Well then you're in luck! Because while we're there we've managed to rent out a room in the estate for the day where no other person except for those in the association are allowed in. And trust me when we say that we have the means to keep every last one of them out." Unohana said very persuasively. "And I'm sure you know what the Sereitei Woman's Association actually does, correct?" Unohana said, trying her best not to say anything that may disrespect the petite taicho in front of her... she did need her help, after all.

"Yes, I do know. And I do not wish to join such a group of people that would do something so wasteful of their time when they could be helping Sereitei or taking care of their far more important and obligatory duties."

Unohana thought over her next word choices carefully, realizing her plan could fail at any moment if she doesn't choose her words carefully. "Yes, but it does serve a purpose, though it may not serve such a purpose to many others in the organization. You could benefit from the experience. You still seem to have some small" 'absolutely crazy, psychotic, insane, moronic, as well as absurdly massive' "issues with the events that happened fifty years ago. This group could help you overcome what _little_ trauma remains of the event." Unohana said, still trying her hardest not offend the taicho of the second division.

"Regar-" Soifon was cut off, however, once Unohana realized that she still hadn't provided enough reason for her to go to a simple short meeting in the morning that would take place in her otherwise open, free, and unbooked day that, even Soifon admits, would've been spent brooding all day.

"Hmm, I hear that the second division squad has come in with the lowest amount of injuries this last month. I'm going to have to put them on the furthest back on the priority chart for healing and treatment." Unohana interrupted, smirking devilishly. Both captains knowing that the second division is only second to the eleventh division in number of injuries; usually due to intensive training and Soifon's utter hatred of incompetence in the division, usually resulting in some first hand beatings.

"You wouldn't dare..." Soifon spat, realizing that she wouldn't be able to kick the snot out of the incompetent recruits or beat the dough out of her useless vice captain without extreme consequences. Since the only way she can get away with beating up her fukutaicho without massive political backlash is because he would be recovered later that day or by the next morning, but that wont happen if they're on the back of the priority chart. And without being able to knock incompetence out of the new recruits it will only lead to more incompetence from loss of training time due to hospitalized time.

"I don't know, statistics don't lie." Unohana narrowed her eyes to an almost unnoticeable degree, now hoping Soifon will have been pushed into enough of a corner to where she would be forced to accept.

"Fine, I will go. Only so long as those disgusting elephants stay far away from me for my _extremely_ short stay in that... _prison_." Soifon explained. Trying to sound as if she actually had a choice in the matter if only to preserve her pride.

Unohana smiled and looked down at a piece of paper on her desk, then in an appearance of mock-surprise said, "Oh, silly me, I must've read the statistics wrong. No, the second division's statistics have remained the same as they were last month. Now the organization will meet tomorrow morning, bright and early. About six-thirty mortal world Tokyo time." Unohana said will a small amount of elation. "And I believe that shall conclude this meeting, don't you think?"

"Yes, good day Unohana-_dono_." The Onimitsukido leader replied in a poisonous tone, emphasizing the fact they are both of the same rank, in a small, feeble attempt to try and show that Unohana will not always be able to push her around with the same tactic she had just used. Or so Soifon hopes.

Soifon then stood up with a grace that only a trained assassin could have, turned around, then walked briskly over to the door. She opened it, and swiftly closed it, removing her from Unohana's sight. She hadn't even bothered to wait for any form of reply or remark, she had only wishing to get the day over with and to relieve stress on some new members of the second division.

xXxXxXxEnd FlashbackxXxXxXx

She realized that she was distracted from the meeting. She brought her attention back to the meeting she _so willingly _decided to join for the morning_._

"Now onto our final, and most important matter for many of you-" The Vice President began, with a slight tinge of a blush that was faintly noticeable. Soifon vaguely noticed that Yachiru was off to the side and taking a "much deserved"candy break. Soifon was momentarily put off as she realized how much she had missed. She could only hope she hadn't accidentally agreed or volunteered for anything or missed something that she would have to do. Even if she hated this association and would rather that the whole compound burn down, she had to retain a strict image, and being embarrassed, flustered, or anything else that she wouldn't normally do is not a part of that image. And she was pretty sure not paying attention would do any number of those to her.

"In regards to the mysterious man named Naruto Uzumaki." She noticed how many in the room gained a blush on their cheeks, and a few people's faces looked like they would explode at any second. Even more had straightened their backs, and some were staring the vice president down in barely constrained angst. She would be lying if she said she wasn't a small bit curious of who this person was. But all you could see to tell she was curious or even paying attention was a small tilt of her head that was probably in the single digits of degrees.

"I have heard that Miki, Mikoto, and Mikoto have met him since our last meeting." The Vice President continued.

Mikoto seemed to be the first to gain the courage to speak. "Yes, I have. He was very interesting, he was very cheery and happy. And overall nice to be around and he even... complimented my hair" She said as she continued to fiddle with her hair in her fingers with an ever enlarging blush. "I did not learn any new information, however, he vanished before I could ask him anything." Many groaned at that. Soifon vaguely understood that this must be a common occurrence for them.

The other two female shinigami answered along the same lines, complete with groans and saddened looks. Soifon grew curious, there were captains and lieutenants here, and they couldn't find this one male? She couldn't understand it, though she was getting an idea why Unohana "asked" her to join the group.

Speaking of which... "Vice President, I believe I have the answer to our predicament." Unohana began to speak to the Vice president. "I believe that Soifon-dono would be able to find our lost fox." Unohana grinned deviously, in an obviously non-Unohana like leer.

"Oh yes, I had entirely forgotten about you Soifon. I suppose I should try to update you on our 'OPERATION: FOX HUNT' or Find Our Xtremely Hunky Uzumaki, Naruto Treat-The President wanted 'treat' as the last word." The Vice President said, with an unnoticeable cry from Yachiru saying how her sugary fox would be hers one day. "He is a hunk, he stands somewhere around six foot and two or three inches. He has unruly, sun-kissed blond hair as well as some of the most beautiful ocean blue eyes. His most noticeable traits though are his six fox-like whisker marks, three on each cheek, and his straight, white haori with the name 'Devil's Fox' in bold red and a black outline on the back and some strange ancient language on the bottom of it in bright orange symbols. He doesn't carry a zanpakuto on him as far as we could tell. And he wears some sort of green armor _(Jonin Armor)_ under the haori. One thing we aren't sure of is his footwear, he wears some sort of olden footwear that actually doesn't make any noise when walking.

"He is also very cheery and has a bright demeanor. Some notable things include that he is probably the best liar in Seireitei, he even lied straight to Unohana and if it hadn't been blatantly obvious it was a lie, she'd have believed him. Also -" She paused at this, as if seemingly realizing who she was talking to, however, Yachiru didn't have this same epiphany.

"He will likely be awarded the name Shunshin (God of Flash) soon, he is currently the fastest person in Seireitei." The President, foolishly, added in a very delighted tone.

Soifon's left eye twitched. And again. Here she was, trying to escape the shadow of her former mistress, her mentor, many other things, and here is this person, this random person who she, anti-social and out of the loop or not, hadn't even heard of until today, was about to take the last title, the last name _she_ had left that Soifon had not taken. She was furious, she was enraged... she was going to beat him up, prove them wrong, she was _the_ fastest in Seireitei, _the_ quickest, _the_ best assassin there is. No random male was going to take that from her.

The Vice President coughed awkwardly, noting the dark aura around the second division taicho. "Well, yes, the Soutaicho will be awarding that soon, or so the Soutaicho has stated. That is all the _facts_ we have on him. We have also heard many rumors that have been spreading, without our help either, which is odd..." She continued, thoughtfully, after a brief moment. "We have heard that he lives somewhere along the lines of in a gigantic mansion, in the jungle outlining the Rukongai, or even in Hell, which actually makes too much sense considering the 'Hell's Fox' on his haori. We haven't heard anything of his skills, only that the Soutaicho himself has reviewed him and that he only got here a mere three to four weeks ago and that no person other than the Soutaicho himself has ever been in his presence more than once. Unfortunately." The Vice President finished, rather downheartedly. Obviously hinting that she had already seen him and had given up on most of her hope of seeing him again. She continued on after a brief awkward silence and a general mourning of those females in the organization who had already met him and scoffs from those who refused to believe it. "More rumors state that the Soutaicho himself konso-ed him, which would actually explain why he was gone for that one week for his 'once in a thousand years vacation'. And when he returns, Naruto shows up, which was further proof..." She sighed momentarily. "And all we want is to put his face on one calendar! Well... maybe all of them for the next ohh... ever."

Soifon had listened, near, wholeheartedly, she took everything she had as information to use. She would find this person herself and makes sure that he understood who was the fastest, she wouldn't need her Onimitsukido, it would be overkill... And against its policy and code to hunt those who aren't breaking any laws. "I understand, I will make it my mission to find this person, and bring him here." She finished with confidence, authority, and seeming callousness, though inside she was raging.

All of a sudden, Yachiru went up to the Vice President, "What about the Kuchiki Estate? It could work, and it would be so funny!"

The Vice President took a thoughtful expression, "That could work. But with our funds, it could take a while, say. Fifty or so years to make such a thing without anyone else's knowledge." Yachiru pouted, obviously taking after her taicho in the patience department.

And with that, the peppy president in her usual manner dismissed the organization to go on with there own affairs. With Soifon leading them all as she practically rushed out of the room in a Shunpo to get back to her Barracks to prepare for a personal mission. It was only morning, after all, and she had a fox to hunt down.

* * *

**A/N#2: I hope you guys liked this chapter, because it probably cleared up a lot in the title. Or so you think, no. Actually the title of this fanfic is named this way for a much, _much_ bigger reason later in the story arc ^.^. But hey, I'll get there some day. Now, will Naruto be in the next chapter? Ehhh... maybe. Are the rumors true? Mehhh... Kinda-sorta. Will I keep you waiting as long? No... LONGER, just kidding! I most certainly hope not! Cyo-o-o next time!**


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